Machine for sealing bottles.



P UONRAD MACHINE FOR SEALING BOTTLES.

` A APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 22, 190s. 967964, Patented Aug".` 16, 1910. a sums-SHEET 1.

P. CONRAD, MAGHINE FUR SEALING BOTTLES. APPLIoATIoN FILED sBPT. 22. 190s.

967,614. Patented Aug. 16,1910.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VEEL-12h: f

P. CONRAD.4

MACHINE PoR SEALING BOTTLES.

LPPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 22, 190B.

Patented Aug. 16,1910.

that

raurooiritan, or cirrcaeo, immers, aesiuiron yro errantes r. recurren, or unicaen, trainers. i i

Specification of Letters ateiit.

Patented .ei-ue., ie.. ioni.,

Application tiled September 2%, 1908. Seriallt'o. 454,2?5.

To all whom 'it 'muy concern: i c

Be it known that I, PAUL CoNRAn, a suh- Ject of the Emperor of Germany, and resident of the city of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines tor Sealing Bottles; and l do hereby declare that the ltollcwving is a full, clear and exact description ot the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which toi-in a part oit this speciication.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in that class lot machines for sealing bottles wherein a metallic sealing cap is adapted to be. applied to the neck of the bottle with drawing pressure to close the 'flange thereof under the bead on the bottle neck and there; after While the pressure is still maintained to dish the central part of the cap or seal inwardly.

0i the numerous chucks or 'throats for machines of' the class described heretofore devised, great ditticulty has been experi-- enced in providii'ig suilicient resiliency or adaptability of the throat or the chuck to enable the saine to conform to the bottle neck should the saine be slifrhtly irregular in contour, as tor instance7 siould the saine be slightly oval instead of circular., For this purpose, inany expediente have been tried, among others a more or `less resilient backing and 'a somewhat rigid ring oit harder metal Within the saine and perma u nently secured thereto Which is parted longitudinally to permit the parts thereof to yield independently of each other. This is not entirely satisfactory, however, for ,the

reason that the unequal yieldingof the parts sometimes results vin scoring or cutting the cap in a manner to remove the tin coating or even to cut entirely thrciigh the inet-akin either event, resulting eventually in a'leak and destroying the value of the cap. v i i The object of this linvention is to provide a sealing head or chuck adapted to maintain lirin pressure upon thecap during the period that the langes thereof are being drawn and pressed inwardly beneath ther Ahead and .to maintain and aug-ment such drawing pressure until the tlange is entirely closed beneath the bead and in t-lie particular 'construction shown, until the central portion of the cap is driveninwaidlv or aitord a throat for. a sealing vhead or chucir such as described by the use ot which positive drawing pressure. is maintained upon the flange of the sealing cap to torce the saine beneath the head such tliroauhave ever, being so constructed that though of a.

unitary nature9 the" throat may conformi mtitl readily to the contour ot' the lneck et the bottle.

lt'i's further an object of the invention tov adord a throat for a machine of theclass described ,adapted to be used either incoary 'junction with or independently ofthe mechn1 anisrn :tor conceiving the top ot the seal and y to atlord a construction also in Which the pressure exerted Within the throat as the bottleneck rises therein acts to adjust the throat to exactly fit with unitorin pressure about Ythe periphery of the seal.

lt further an. object oit the invention to y aii'ord in connection withv a device such as described a dra-wing throat having radi-- ally weakening slits or slots therein near the inner side thereot', the portion. between said acontaining band or ring,

It is a further object of the invention to attord in connection with a device, suoli as described supporting .detente so constructed as to permit but one sealing capte be received therein with each bottle.

The invention consists in the matters here i .inafter described and more fully pointed out and deiined in the appended claiins.

In the drawings: Figure `l isa view in side elevation of a sealing machine adapted to be individually operated and the bottles with the sealing cap thereon to be manually inserted. Fig. Q is an enlarged longitudinal section of the sealing heads showing the p0- siton the parts assume at the'preliniinary stage of the operation, or When the sealing capon the bottle neck is tiret inserted into the inachine. Fig is a siinilar view and illustrates'tlie drawing and pressing oit the flange of the cap beneath the bottle bead as the cap nears the inward liinit of traveh Fig. 4 illustrates the completion et the seal by the release ol the haininer which strikes the central plunger downwardly. llig. 5 is an enlarged central section ot the throat showing the parte in elevation. llig. t3 is -slots or slits being fulcrurned or pivoted on 'i mit a top plan View of the same. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View.

As shown in the drawingszA, indicates the frame of the sealing machine, which, as shown, is provided with a foot lever a, for

actuation and a sealing head" or chuck B, y y carried on a vertical shaft I), and movable in the standard A, and actuated by Athe foot lever and adapted thereby to be forced downwardly over the bottle X, shown in dotted lines and supported on the adjustable table E. Said head B, comprises a cylindric shell or casing B2, internally threaded at its Aupper end and externally threaded at its lower end and rovided, as shown, in its interior near its ower end -with a peripheral rib b', which divides said casing into a 4lower small chamber and an upper larger chamber. Secured in said lower chamber is the drawing ring orchuck proper, sometimes denominated a throat. This, as

. shown, consists in the present instance of a drawin ring 'of hard bronze indicated by l), and'w ich is provided with a relatively large bore at its lower end which tapers slightly u wardly tothe draw of said ring indicated Iby d, where the inward taper or angle is somewhat abrupt to a point ,constricting the bore of said ring approximately lto the size of the bottle neck in cross section plus the thickness of the flange of the sealing cap. l From this point, the bore d tapers inwardly at a slight angle to increase the pressure on said flange to draw the same downwardly beneath the bead as the bottle is 'forced upwardly or, what is to the same purpose, as the chuck or throat is forced downwardly over the bottle neck with the cap thereon. It is of the utmost importance to atiord a high degree of resiliency in said l throat or chuck to permit of perfect adaptation to the cross sectional contour of the bottle neck, and forthis purpose, said drawing ring is provided on the outer side and extending inwardly to near the inner periph-v ery thereof with radial and longitudinal passages or bores Z4-d5, and slits or cuts d",

opening therefrom arranged equal distances apart and reducin the thickness of the drawing ring D,-su 'ciently to impart a high degree of resiliency thereto, and the otherwise cylindric drawin ring is flattened `or 'out away at Z7 longitu inally at the periphceneri.

the linger g, thereon will"engage beneath the flange' of the ca to center the same vexactly upon the bott e neck as the same ap,- proaches the drawing throat of the drawing ring. Said detents are each provided with an inwardly projectingdetent or claw g2, and both claws, detents or ingers extend through short slots d", ,cut entirely through the lower part of the drawing ring. Said drawing ring serves to limit the upward movement of the claw with the cap thereon by engagement of the claw'g2 against the` drawing rinf at the top of the slots d, and

the under si e of the claws g2 being inclined outwardly permits the cap to slip back to the detent g. As shown, the metal is cut away at the top of the drawing ring, fron. near the bore thereof to the eriphery, thus aiording a circular fillet 5, of uniform width surrounding the bore of the ring and which bears at all times against the internal peripheral rib b', in the casing B2. Threaded on the lower end of the casing is the chuck headB, having an upwardly tapering mouth as shown in Fig. 2, which serves to center the neck of the bottle in the drawing ring.

Slidable in the upper or larger chamber is a presser foot E, having a peripheral ange at its lower end e, which tits within said casing .and bears against said rib or shoulder b, 'before described. Said presser foot is provided in its lower end with a central cavity or recess adapted to receive the enlarged head F, of a holding die, the lower end of which is shaped to t on the sealing cap, and to firmly hold the saine in place on `the bottle neck while the flange thereof is beingdrawndownwardly. The holding` l die is shaped to fit on and partly within the top of the sealing cap and is free to rise as the bottle seal enters the throat, except for the resistance of the resser foot. For the purpose of affording t e requisite resistance to such u ward movement, a strong spiral .L

spring E, bears against the flange c, on the presser foot'and at its upper end bears against an adjusting ring E, threaded in `the upper end of the casing and whereby tension of the spring may be varied by adjusting said ing inwardly or outwardly therein. Slida ly engaged in a suitable aperture at the axis of said presser foot and the holding die F, is aplunger H, which normally rests lightly upon the center of the sealing cap indicated by X', but which eventually isl impelled downwardly to con! cave the to of the cap or to produce any desired con guration thereof. For this purv pose, as shown, an adjusting bolt la., is provided'in the upper end of the plunger H,

and slidably supported in a conical and adjustable tripping block H', is a hammer It', which is normally held at the lower limit of its travel by means of a spring h, which ternir bears against the under side of the tripping block' and on the head it', of the hammer.

Pivotally engaged on the upper cnd'poiE the presser toot E, are upwardly directed arms e', each of which is provided with oppositely'disposed and inwardly directed lingers e2, adapted to engage beneath the head of the'hammer h', to force the saine upwardly. as the presser foot rises and as shown, a spring e3, is provided for each oi said arms e, which hold the upper end thereof inwardly or in position for the lingers to engage the hammer. lSaid tripping block is, ot course, adjusted in the adjusting ring E?, to a position such that the ends of the arms c", engage the inclined ends thereof as the resser foot risesto force said arms opposite. thereby releasing the hammer and permitting the same to strike' a. -blow upon the head oi the g'ilnngcr to shape the top of the cap.

The operation is as follows: Dwing to the construction of the drawing ring, which isr contained in a strong band or cylinder shell l, the ring may extend in any direction to ada t itself with-the cross sectional contour of t e bottle neck.. @i course, in that event, the segments forming said ring to a certain extent rock on the ulcrum points within a strong containing band or shell l, which lits in the end ot the lcasing B2. Such movement Cit or displacement outwardly ot portions of the drawing ring are, of course, compensated in part bv the inward' drawing ot other portions of the ring, thus the ring is enabled to dispose its'el'ln eith'er incircnlar forni, in elliptical form lor even in some angular' form, owin to the resiliency oi" the material of which ormed, the drawing ring at all times, however, having a positive support except opposite the flattened faces ot1 thcsegments, enables the `same to compensate for the slight inequalities in the bottle neet;

so frequently found. @wing tothe shape of the double claws or fingers, which pro-- trnde into the bore of the chuck' the cap when pressed inwardly thereover on the neck 'of the bottle is eiractly centered within the drawing ring, the cap boing hold horiaontally on the bottle neck by means of said lingers. The somewhat abrupt angle at the beginning of said throat applies downward stress upon the, top of the cap, drawing or pressing the {tange inwardly and crimping the same beneath the' bead, at the same time the pressing ,die F, under the pressure ot the spring E', (which approximates several hundred pounds) bears firmly on the top oit" the cap. The relative movement oi the chuck and bottle, however, forces the bottle neck with the cap thereon inwardly, thus pushin the presser toot and the hammer upwar ly against the tension otthe springs, while the pluneer H, rides lightly on the top of the seal until the dange is iirmly closed beneath the bead, at. this time, which corresponds with the highest limit of travel of the cap, the hammer 'is released by the outward movement of the arms e, by engagement with the tripping block H, and in consequence a blow, which may be grad uatcd by the tension exerted by the spring i12, is struclr on said plunger, thus dishing the center of the cap inwardly or producing any desired conformation thereof. rThe spring assists to torce the neclr ot the bottle downwardlyl preparatory to Vreceiving an other bottle. y

@t course, I am well aware that a drawing ring constructed as described and provided with an integral drawing throat portion may be used in connection with practically any ofthe machines heretofore used and may be considered entirely aside from, and independent of, the plunger for forming the top of the seal. However, 'the saine are adapted for joint use, and are, in tact, conjointly used in many instances, inasmuch as the pressing die firmly holds the metal cap upon the top ofthe bottle neck, while the drawing ring maintains its firm and drawing pressure on the flange, during the period in which `the blow is struck by the plunger. Any inequalities in the bottle neck are in consequence entirely iilled by the seal and its packing material to effectively prevent leakage.

I do not purpose limiting this application 'for patent in any particular, otherwise than `necessitated by the prior art, as very many details of the construction may be ,omitted or varied without departing from the prin# ciples of this invention.

l claim as my invention:

l. ln a device of the class described a drawing rii'ig, comprising an integral ring vided-with outwardly directed flanges, radial slots in said flanges and the outer side ot said ring to reduce lthc ring in thickness and allord resiliency, said flanges being flattened at said slots to ail'ord aiulcrinn point between adjacent slots, and a strong cylindric band inclosingsaid flanges and atl'ording' a bearing :for said :tulcrum points.

il. ln a device of the class described a drawing ring, Vcomprising an integral ring having an inwardly tapered borcfand provided with outwardly directed flanges, ra dial slots in said tlanges and the outer side of said ring to reduce the ring in thickness thereat and aiiord resiliency, said `damges being tlattened at said slots to aliord tulcruin points therebetween, a strong cylindric band inclosing said flanges and ail'ording a bearing tor said fulcrum points and clavvsprotruding into the bott'omot the ring.

ln a device ol the class described a one piece drawing ring, `having an inwardly.

tapered bore or throat, and provided with having an inwardly tapered bore, and protitl Vio

outwardly directed flanges, radial slots in said flanges and the outer side of said ring to reduce the ring in thickness and afford resiliency, holding claws in alternate slots, saidl flanges being flattened at said slots to afford fulcrum points therebetween and a strong resilient cylindric band inclosing said flanges and affording the bearings for said fulcrum points.

4. In a device of the class described a drawing ring having an inwardly tapered bore or throat and provided with outwardly directed side flanges, and yhaving radial slots in said flanges and the outer side of said ming to reduce the ring in thickness and afford resiliency, said flanges being flat-tened at said slots to afford fulcrumpoints therebetween, a strong cylindric resilient band inclosing said flanges and affording bearings for said fulcrum points, and spring pressed detents each provided with twoclaws protruding into the ring at the bottom. i

5. In a machine of the class described the combination with the drawing ring, ofdetents extending inwardly beneath the same and each having a plurality of upwardly facing shoulders and downwardly and outwardly inclined faces, and springs pressing the detents inwardly.

6. A bottle sealing mechanism embracing mechanism for applying pressure on the cap peripherally at the inner edge of the bottle neck, mechanism for drawing and pressing the flange inwardly and mechanism for pressing the center of the ca inwardly while maintaining the aforesai' inner peripheral. pressure on the cap and against the flange thereof, reciprocating mechanism for actuating the mechanism for pressing the center of the cap inwardly and double clawed spring detents for supporting the cap in place prior to sealing.

7. A bottlesealing mechanism embracing non expansible mechanism for applying pressure on the cap, a spring adapting said mechanism tov yield upwardly, mechanismf for crimping the flange of the cap beneath the bead of a bottle, a spring actuated plunger for forcing the center of the cap into the mouth of the bottle to provide an inner seal, and engaging claws for the cap or yseal adapted to prevent entrance of more than one cap.

S. In a machine of the class described a .plunger adapted to rest loosely u-pon the middle of the sealing cap until near completion of the sealing operation and a reciproeating4 spring operated hammer adapted to strike said plunger downwardly to dish the middle of the cap, mechanism adapted to automatically actuate the hammer to increase the tension of the spring prior tothe acting to refuse more than one scr-.l at a time.

9. In a bottle sealing device mechanism for forming the outer seal., upwardly yielding means exerting pressure on the top of the cap to hold the same tightly against the top of the bottle, means resisting upward yielding of the same, a plunger extending axially through the ressure exerting means, and means elevated y upward movement o.f said pressure exerting means andautomatically released to actuate thek plunger to aid in sealing thecap.

10. yIn a device of' the class described mechanism for sealing the central portion of a. cap, mechanism exerting pressure on the cap during the sealing operation, releasable mechanism carried by the pressure exerting mechanism for automatically adjusting a part of the sealing mechanism to operate the other part of the sealing mechanism, mechanism for sealing the outer flange of the cap and spring pressed 'independently movable lingers adapted to center the bottle in the machine.

l1. In a device of the-class described a drawing ring provided with passages and longitudinal slots to near the inner side thereof.

l2. In a device of the' class described a. solid drawing ring having a central tapered bore, said drawing ring having passages therethrough and slits opening from the pas sages to the outer periphery di the ring and to nearly the inner periphery.

i3. In a device of the class described a drawing ring having a central bore and large longitudinal passages through the walls tl (l thereof, the walls slitted inunirdly and ontl wardly from the passages.

14. In a device of the class described a drawing ring having a central bore and large longitudinal passages through the Walls thereof, the walls slitted inwardly and outwardly from thc passages, and a plurality of fulcrum lines on the outer side. of the drawing ring.

l5. In a device of the class described a. drawing ring having a central bore and large longitudinal passages through the walls thereof, the walls slitted inwardly and outwardly from fthe passages, and a non-expansiblc shell inclosing said drawing ring.

16. A drawing ring comprising a ring having a central bore and longitudinal opening through the walls thereof, and radial slots extending toward and from the central bore and the drawing ring provided with alternate flat and round exterior faces.

17. A drawing ring comprising a solid metal ring and parts of the metal removed to provide 4a resilient drawing ring with a solid inner wall.

18. A drawing ring comln'ising a solid metal ring and parts of the metal removed lo provide a resilient drawing ringr with a solid inner wall, and a shell inclosing the expanlll) lll)

4enigme 'sible drawing ring, said: drawing ring shaped to providefulcrurn lines. f

19; A drawing ring `comprising a ring having a tapered throat and having passages cut through walls therepf to reduce the metal and provide resiliency and centering Jaws 1n part of the passages.

20. A drawing ring comprising a ring having a tapered throat and having passages cut through walls thereof to reduce the metal and provide resiliency, and inueans set in part of said passages adapted to liold one ca and toprevent more than' one from being held in capping position.

21. In a device of the class described a drawin ring having a tapered bore, the walls o said ring slotted longitudinally and the slots communicating with the bore at the upper and lower ends only. j

22. In' a device of the class described a drawing ring of solid metal having slots to provide' reslliency and recessesl opening through the lower circumference and means set in the recesses adapted to hold a cap.

2 3. In a device of the class described an vexpansible drawing ring having a central -bore and the outer circumference of the ring beingl alternately flat and round.

24. In a device of theclass described an expansible drawing ring having a central l scribed my 'naine in the bore and the outer circumference of the ring being alternately flat and round, and a rigid band around the ring contacting the round surfaces only. v y -1 A drawing ring adapted to seal a cap and provided with exterior dat and rounded portions.

26. A drawing ring having its outer surface alternately roundedand flat longitudimembers each having a plurality of inclined j aws projecting through the lower end of the' drawing ring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub'- presence of two subscribing witnesses. r

vPAUL CONRAD.

Witnesses i J, W. ANGELL, K. E'. HANNAH. 

